Things I'll Never Say
by splishsplashxox
Summary: Raven is devastated when Beast Boy is injured in battle. Her emotions get the best of her, and she is determined to make the fiend pay, no matter the cost.
1. Chapter 1

A black blur with streaks of red ran in to the computer store and back out before almost anyone could notice it had come…_almost_ anyone. Unfortunately for the blur, someone had been watching. Nothing fazed this silent sentry. Like the trained warrior he had conditioned himself to be, Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, sprung into action and was quickly in hot pursuit of the mysterious thief, Red X.

X stole a glance behind him as he ran, and much to his dismay he saw Robin. "Come on, kid, try and keep up," the thief taunted as he ducked into a dark alley. X had picked the wrong alley, though. Waiting in the shadows was Raven, the dark Azarethran sorceress and fellow Teen Titan. Red X skidded to a stop and tossed out shurikens in the shape of an "x." Raven avoided the flying blades, but Red X had managed to flick on the belt's invisibility switch while his adversaries were occupied.

Robin made it into the alley at the end of the few-second battle, angrily looking around. He swallowed his emotions and looked around for the villain. "Did you see him, Raven?"

"Not since he tried to take out my eyes… He can't have gotten far on foot."

"Rest assured! We will find him!" Starfire said, happiness oozing from every part of her as she flew into the alley.

Robin nodded and tore off in the opposite direction. "I'll cover the ground search."

"I've got the air!" Starfire cried, zooming away once more.

"I'll take everything in between," Raven said to herself. She levitated into the air, not high above the ground, and channeled her focus as she looked for any sort of motion. Red X could not stay invisible forever. That power sapped his utility belt of its Xenothium fuel. When he was visible, if even for an instant, Raven would find him. She scanned every inch of the street her eyes could cover as she floated, grumbling a few angry thoughts in her mind. It was hard for Raven to emote like anyone else on the team, as her powers were controlled by her emotions–especially her anger. When she was mad, she had to get over it quickly. When she screwed up, no good came from her cursing herself; what happened had happened and she had to do what she could to make it right.

The buildings of Jump City were dark on this end of town, giving the industrial district near the docks quite an ominous feel. It would bother most people. To Raven, though, it was a comfort. If anything, it shut out distractions. Because it was dark, not many people came down this way. It was really a blessing for Red X to choose this area of Jump City to rob. This way, when the Titans took him down, there was far less chance of anyone being hurt.

"AW, NO! YOU ARE _NOT_ GETTING PAST ME!" an all-too-familiar voice echoed off the buildings.

"Cyborg," Raven breathed. She teleported herself to his location, feeling the connection to her friend and finding his location almost as quickly as she had nearly lost an eye earlier, thanks to Red X. Her dark energy brought her through the city street seamlessly. Quickly assessing the situation, she was able to throw a shield up to protect her friend—and herself—as Red X shot binding goo from his gloves.

The metal man smiled brightly and turned quickly, pursuing Red X.

Beast Boy leaped into the action, in the form of a green grizzly bear. He stood up on his back legs, letting out a mighty roar.

Red X was intimidated, but he only hesitated for a second before producing sharp "x" shaped metallic blades designed for close combat from the tops of his gloves. While Beast Boy was distracted, Red X went for a killing strike at the bear's throat.

Out of nowhere, though, the assailant was blown backwards by green light. Starfire had struck again. She continued her assault with her starbolts, angrily fighting back Red X. No one even attempted to harm her friends and got away with it.

As Red X stood up, painfully so, he was attacked from every side. Raven possessed his arms and legs and rendered him motionless, Starfire shot more starbolts, and Robin and Cyborg threw repeated punches between the starbolts. Finally, the attacks subsided. Beast Boy, in the form of a green wolf, ran forward, snarling and snapping. He was not about to let the whole team down when he was so close to permanently ridding them of one of their most dastardly foes. Beast Boy, in the spotlight… He liked the thought of that. As the wolf grew closer, he targeted the "x" on the villain's chest–_"X marks the spot! I crack myself up. I have to save that one for later!"_ the green boy thought–and leaped into the air, claws and teeth completely bared.

Red X sensed the expectation in the air. He felt Raven's control lift, just for an instant, and took his killing strike. As the wolf soared into the air in front of his face, his combat blades came out and his hand slashed down Beast Boy's chest. The slobber had barely landed on his face before Red X managed to turn invisible once more and disappear from sight. "Looks like the kids should have stayed on the playground!"

As Beast Boy fell to the ground, he morphed back to his human state. His eyes were wide with fear and with pain, his face pale. The red stain on his uniform spread from the initial wound all the way across his chest.

"Beast Boy!" Robin screamed, leaping to his friend's side in an instant. Robin hated to see anyone injured on the team, but Beast Boy especially. He was like the plucky, annoying little brother in the family. Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven were not far behind their leader. Robin gently supported Beast Boy's head and lower back. "Beast Boy…"

The green child's eyes fluttered. He had a pulse, but it was weak. He was losing a lot of blood.

Robin turned to Raven. "Can you heal him?"

Doing her best to hide the tears in her eyes, Raven reached her hands out, touching the wound. She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily, trying not to cry. If she could not heal Beast Boy, Raven did not know what she would do. God, anyone but Beast Boy… Breathing deeply, Raven repeated her familiar incantation, "Azarath…metrion…zinthos." She took as much pain from Beast Boy as she could bear, putting forth all her healing energy she could. Raven couldn't imagine waking up tomorrow and not hearing a Beast Boy joke or seeing his smile. She wouldn't lose him, not like this.

When Beast Boy did not wake up, Raven let a single tear fall.

"Raven…he will be okay. Friend Beast Boy will awaken soon," Starfire assured her friend.

But it was useless. Raven was deaf and blind to anything, except her anger. She rose up into the air, focused on one thing: vengeance. Red X would pay for this. He would feel the pain that Beast Boy–and now Raven–felt. Silently, she set off on her mission.

"Where is she going?" Starfire asked. The alien hated it when her friends were separate.

Robin watched Raven, unsure of her plans but deeply worried about his friend. "I'm not sure. But I'm going to keep an eye on her. Cyborg, you and Starfire get Beast Boy home." Robin ran down the road, grabbing his motorcycle from another alleyway. Raven had gotten quite far, but that would not stop the young hero from tracking her down.


	2. Chapter 2

Back in the tower, Beast Boy lay still on the hospital bed. He had a series of tubes twisting into his arm. The EKG beeped steadily, implying that, yes, his heart was still working. Beast Boy seemed to be a different person in the bed, still and cold… It was so un-Beast Boy.

Starfire stood patiently at Beast Boy's bedside, holding his hand and waiting patiently for him to return to consciousness. "Cyborg, why has Beast Boy not awaken?" she asked, almost begging Cyborg to do more.

Cyborg sighed, his eyes heavy with worry, as he finished his last stitch across Beast Boy's chest. His whole team, his best friends…his family, they had all been threatened today. Cyborg had seen one nearly lose his life and the other lose touch with everything she knew. One more had taken off in an attempt to stop the angry bloodshed. Now the last was asking impossible questions. Cyborg may have been headed to college for med school, but his basic first aid knowledge did not cover the education that he had given up after the accident. "I don't know, Star… He lost a lot of blood. That blade was painful. He'll probably be out for another few hours."

Beast Boy groaned loudly. "It feels like my hand is being crushed," he mumbled.

"Or he could wake up now!" Cyborg said with a smile.

"Beast Boy! You are unharmed!" Starfire said, squeezing Beast Boy's hand even harder.

Beast Boy cracked a small smile. "Well, tell that to my right hand, Star."

Immediately, the alien released her vice-like grip on the green boy's hand and wrapped Beast Boy in a hug instead. "Oh, friend! I am so glad to see you unharmed!" Her smile was as wide as the distance between Tamaran and Earth.

Through his occasional loss of oxygen, Beast Boy was able to smile. He could always count on Star for a hug.

"Thought we almost lost you, Grass Stain!" Cyborg said. "You came pretty close…"

Beast Boy shook his head. "I don't think I've ever felt such intense pain–until Star was squeezing my hand over here." He cackled at his own joke, true to form. "I was in and out for a while. I remember Robin freaking out. I remember everyone around me. Everything got all dark… Then it was like this overwhelming urge to sleep came over me. And I saw Raven's face." She had never looked more beautiful or more perfect to the changeling. "And she was crying. But then she faded away and everything went dark again."

Neither Cyborg nor Starfire had ever experienced such an intense feeling of Raven's healing. Usually it was a tingle and then the pain was gone. But the way Beast Boy had described it was so different. Cyborg was very curious. Starfire simply squealed. "Oh! How wonderful! Raven never shares her emotions!"

"Well, I want to hear more, but for now, you need to rest, BB. No morphing for a while, either. I don't want you messing up my perfect stitch work!" Cyborg joked.

"Does that mean I can kick your butt at some video games?" Beast Boy asked, perking up a great deal at the thought of some victory.

"Nah, man. You get way into it! Let those stitches sit for another few hours and then we'll see, huh?"

"Aw… You're just worried I'm going to beat all your high scores!"

"HAH! That'll be the day." Cyborg left the infirmary, hoping to get in touch with Robin or Raven. He prayed that Starfire would not get too rough or crazy with Beast Boy incapacitated. Cyborg did not want another stitch to pop. He only had so many bags of blood on hand to transfuse into that wild child…

Starfire was still grinning ear to ear when the metal man had left the room. "So, Friend Beast Boy! Tell me," she started, floating in the air with a jittery excitement about her. "Did you truly see the Friend Raven shedding tears?"

Beast Boy looked into Starfire's hopeful, pleading eyes. He was not even sure if what he had seen was even real. It could have been neurons firing off various signals in his brain as he neared the end of his life. He could have somehow been hit by hallucinogen before Red X tried to play Operation on Beast Boy's chest. Or he could have simply imagined it, wanting nothing more than for Raven to open up to him, to trust him. But seeing Star beseech so hopefully broke Beast Boy. He simply had to have an answer for her. "Yeah, Star. I think I did see Raven shedding tears…for me."

Out in the Op Center, Cyborg had pulled up Robin's communicator, which was built into the motorcycle (a nice feature from Cyborg). Tapping his fingers while he waited for Robin to have a moment to hit the "answer call" button, Cyborg thought about what Beast Boy had just told him. Raven could not lose control of her emotions because her emotions controlled her powers. If she had been crying, even just a little, there was a good chance that her powers had escalated beyond her control. Raven never showed emotion. When she had, her powers had truly taken on a mind of their own, like when Raven had been frightened by a horror film that Beast Boy had rented a while ago. Maybe she had lost control of her powers in her worry for the green boy and was now being commanded by the fear and anger in her body…

"Cyborg, what's going on over there?" Robin asked, appearing on screen.

Cyborg instantly snapped out of his thoughts. "Hey, Robin. We're out of the woods. BB is all stitched up and I've got him on some IV pain killers and he's got two pints of O negative slowly coming in. He's conscious, I think he's pretty aware of his surroundings, and he doesn't seem to be too worse for the wear."

"Good. Glad to hear."

"Have you managed to track down Raven?"

"She's about two miles ahead of me right now. Heading east. Knowing her, she's still tracking down Red X. I haven't been able to reach her by communicator, though." Robin's tone was worried.

"I'll see what I can do, man. But I can't promise anything. She's focused as hell."

"Keep me posted. Out." Robin hung up. He kept his eyes straight on the road ahead, an endless ribbon of black and yellow cutting through the dark desert. His focus on a goal was clearly displayed as he chased down Raven–much the same way she was acting right now. As team leader, Robin hated to see anyone injured. It meant that there was a liability in their strategy. As a friend and brother to his teammates, though, he felt responsible when someone was hurt. It meant that he had not done his job–namely, protecting his family. Batman had taught him that attachment only slowed a hero down, held him back from taking the necessary risks to do what is right. But Robin had grown very close to his team. He cared about each of them very much, Raven and Beast Boy being no exception.

He refused to lose either of them.

Red X was now a primary threat in Robin's mind. Anyone that threatened the safety of the city was bad. Anyone that threatened the safety of his friends was worse. But Red X? Well, Robin already disliked him because Red X was a mistake Robin vowed never to make again–and yet that criminal was still on the loose. Now, X had been a nuisance, robbing banks or jewelry stores–this time a computer store for manufactured diamonds for computer chips and probably cash as well. These problems were easy to solve. X had never gone this far before, though. X had never threatened anyone's life. Raven and Beast Boy had history, sure. They stuck up for each other. But Robin had no idea Raven cared _that_ much. He and Raven were close. Raven knew Robin's mind now inside and out, but Robin had only seen brief glimpses of hers. He knew she was powerful and driven. He knew she cared about the team. But this was beyond anything Robin could have been expecting. "Raven, wherever you are, I just hope you're thinking this through."

She could still feel the life slipping out of that gaping wound in his chest. She could still sense the fear and the hopelessness he felt in those moments. She never wanted him to feel like that. The pain still raged through her body. No one could make him feel like that ever again. She would not allow it. Red X would feel his pain, his fear, her rage. Raven did not care what she did to him, as long as it was effective.


	3. Chapter 3

Panting and out of breath, the thief stopped his motorcycle and hid off the side of the road. He was hungry, he was tired, and he had been chased by a girl for a day and a half straight now. Unfortunately, it was not a hot super model like he had always fantasized. _"Shit, this girl does not give up."_ Red X looked around. He saw no sign of the dark girl anywhere. Maybe he would be okay to look around his new surroundings for a few minutes…

Jump City was about one thousand miles west. X now found himself in a smaller city, probably Bank City. He was quite unfamiliar with the layout, the terrain, the people. Playing it safe, X tried to stay among the shadows. Who knew how people here would take a man in costume planning on robbing them? His xenothium was low, and invisibility would drain the suit of what little power it had left. _"Never thought I'd have to play it safe…"_

The thought disgusted X. He did his best to keep his gag noises quiet. However, his stomach ignored him and continued to growl like a Doberman. He had to find somewhere to eat soon. Eventually, he was bound to pass out. Years of thievery had taught X how to find food and take it without a second thought. The only difference between then and now was that X was being hunted like a bear–he played around where he should not have and now he is being punished for it. Still, if he was discrete enough, he should be able to get something to hold him over…

Upon quick surveillance, Raven saw nothing. She saw a small city. She saw unfamiliar faces. She saw shopping and banks and lawyers' offices and cars and clutter and nonsense. But she did not see X. Her target's trail had come up cold_. "It would be helpful to have a certain green bloodhound at this moment," _Raven thought sarcastically. Her heart ached for a moment. His laugh rang in her memories, his smile lit up her eyes. She would not lose that sunshine in her life. The sorrow turned to rage once more, and Raven continued on her hunt. "I will find you," the sorceress hissed under her breath.

Bank City was beautiful, Robin had always thought. He had visited once or twice. There was a lot of history in the town. But there was also a lot of new innovation. He liked the blend of tradition and progress. It was poetic in a way. Today, though, as he drove into the city, he had to force his eyes forward instead of up at the buildings. He had work to do, difficult as it was to work like this. Robin had grown so accustomed to working in a team. It was easier to split a city up amongst five people to look for one person, instead of one person looking for _two _people. He was frustrated but still trying to keep his frustration out of his immediate thoughts, knowing it was only a distraction.

Parking the motorcycle in public lot, Robin sighed quietly to himself. He hated leaving the bike unattended, but he did not know the safe alleys or anywhere clever to hide his vehicle, so he had to assume the lot was safe. Now his question was where to start looking… Checking his communicator tracker, he could see Raven's dot moving slowly through the city. He may actually have a chance to stop Raven before she let her feelings take over every instinct and ounce of good sense she had.

Knowing Raven, she was still tracking down X. She would not give up easily. Now Robin could attempt to track Raven down, which would be nearly impossible, seeing as Raven had magic on her side, not to mention she could always sense when Robin was nearby… His best chance of finding Raven was to find Red X. Robin had never seriously tracked X. X always seemed to find Robin. There was a tracking device in the suit when Robin owned it, but he was almost positive Red X would have removed it. Just to be safe, Robin typed in the necessary information for his communicator to attempt to pick up the suit's signal. Much to his great surprise, Red X had not disabled the tracker. Robin thanked all the powers that be that X had not noticed the device. He now had a chance of finding Raven!

The signal was weak, probably due to a low xenothium supply. But Robin had a general idea of where X was. He had an actual chance to track down Red X. Another criminal would be in jail–and after what X had done, he would be there for a _long_ time. Following the signal, Robin marched forward and started on his way. It would not be long now, not long at all.

Back home in Jump City, Starfire buzzed around the Tower, ensuring that the entire facility was safe. It was not that she distrusted Cyborg's incredible security system; she just wanted to make sure there was nothing to inspire Beast Boy to morph or get over active and pop a stitch… Her friend would be as safe as physically possible. She wanted so badly for Beast Boy to leave that infirmary and make some tofu eggs and bacon and play video games loudly. She wanted a sense of normalcy. Of course, nothing would be completely normal until Robin and Raven returned, but Starfire could at least try to help things to feel normal.

"Cyborg! I do believe that I have succeeded in making the whole tower safe for Beast Boy! I have covered all the wall plug-ins, hidden all the sharp knives, and taken away all the video games that inspire violence and aggression! Can Friend Beast Boy please leave the infirmary?"

Cyborg looked at Star's pleading eyes. God, she could melt anyone with a look that pathetic. "Alright. But Star, no rib-crushing hugs, no flying around the tower like a maniac, and please be careful with—"

But Starfire had already sped off to the infirmary. She was bobbing up and down out of excitement, glad to see Beast Boy waiting eagerly for her.

"What'd he say? Can I get out of this jail cell?" Beast Boy was sitting up, ready to get out of bed and just get back to his daily life.

Starfire squealed excitedly. "You are free from this room of darkness and unhealth! Come, friend! Let us watch the TV and eat the tofu!"

Beast Boy leaped out of bed, throwing the sheets and pillows into the air. The instant his feet hit the ground, he dashed out to the Op Center, hoping to play some Nuclear Ninjas or Viper Room. Much to his dismay, all that Beast Boy could find was Raising Baby Panda at the Zoo. "No problem! I'll just feast on tofu!" He ran to the kitchen, hoping to slice himself up some tofu burgers. But he could not slice without knives, which all seemed to be missing. Even the forks were gone. "Hey Star, is there, like, some law against sharp utensils now? I can't slice food with a spoon!" Beast Boy complained, holding an ice cream scoop in one hand and a hunk of ground tofu in the other.

"Sorry, BB. We just want you to take it easy for a few more days, heal up." Cyborg put his arm around Beast Boy's shoulders and guided him to the couch. "Why don't we just watch some nice TV, huh? You pick a movie for the three of us."

"Where's Raven? Why can't she just finish healing me? Then I can go back to normal!" Beast Boy whined.

Cyborg shook his head. He did not want Beast Boy worrying. If he worried, he would probably run off and try to find Raven. What was the quickest way to move halfway across the country? Beast Boy would morph into something like a bird or a cheetah and be there by tomorrow morning. "Just…find a movie. I'll even watch a nature movie."

Beast Boy looked at Cyborg with some serious suspicions. "You're just hoping that I don't pick a scary movie!" As Beast Boy looked through the movies, though, it appeared quite impossible to pick any scary movie. Or action movie. Or science-fiction movie. Or violet animal documentary. All that was left in the movie cabinet was _Spikey the Dinosaur Teaches the Kids About Hygiene._ "Are you guys trying to tell me that I'm violent or something?"

"No, friend! We simply want you to relax and enjoy some time off while you heal!" Starfire said.

"What am I supposed to do for fun? There's no good movies or video games, I can't cook anything, you won't let me leave the tower… What do you expect me to do, read?"

Cyborg and Starfire snickered. Beast Boy…reading. He was funnier when he wasn't trying to be funny. "Tell you what, BB. I'll go get us a pizza and rent a new comedy or something. Now what do you guys want on the pizza? I'm up for meat lovers…"

"NO WAY, DUDE! I've probably been every animal on that pizza! Black olives are the only pizza topping worth eating!"

"What about mustard?" Starfire suggested, hoping for a compromise.

Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at her with looks of disbelief. Simultaneously, they gave her a resounding, "No."

"Meat lovers!"

"Vegetarian!"

Starfire looked from boy to boy, unsure how to decide. She had _really_ wanted a mustard pizza!

**XXX**

Well hi there, fans… FIRST OF ALL, YAY! I'm finally talking to you guys! Sorry for the lack of discussion for Chapters 1 and 2. I wasn't even sure if I would keep writing this. Thank you for reading! You guys are awesome to put up with this.

Second of all, I want to say thank you to those of you who have encouraged me and spurred me to keep on writing this. This story has been added to numerous favorite lists and update alerts–I kid you not, I squeal every time I see an e-mail from . It makes me so smiley! Thank you especially to those that have reviewed and encouraged me to keep writing: _**famouswriterchica**_, _**Wolvmbm**_, _**Amenson**_, and _**Ivo-goji**_!

Anyways, I hope this update lives up to expectations. It was fun to write from the perspective of Red X. I have yet to see stories from his POV. Hope I didn't anger any die-hard X fans…


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright, so head on down to Knob Hill area… There's three deliveries there. And then you've got one down the road at LabAgents, okay?" came a voice from inside the kitchen to Pizza Palace.

"Yeah, boss. I drive this route once a week. I think I got it." A disgruntled Ryan left the pizza place, grumbling and growling. He was tired of dealing with that new idiot manager and was on the verge of quitting, even though he had been a reliable Pizza Palace employee for four years now. He had to pay for college classes somehow, and he loved pizza. Employee discounts, tips, and having an excuse to drive through some of the nicest parts of Dallas made it quite fine to work there. But lately, it was not quite so worth it.

The back door opened once more as Ryan was loading the pizzas, soft drinks, and sports drinks safely into his passenger seat. "Wait, Ryan!"

"What now?"

"We just finished up one more order for your route. Can you come grab it?"

More angry growling. "Fine. But if I'm late for a single order, it's coming out of _your_ salary."

"Very well. It's only two more pizzas and a bottle of Rocker Cola."

"Where is it?"

"It's in the same center as LabAgents. Uh, John from Exotic Bird Supply."

"Alright. I should be back in an hour. Can you hold down the fort until then?"

"Yeah, Alex is due back any minute now. See you soon."

Ryan left the store once more, two more pizzas and a bottle of cola added to his burden. He opened the passenger door to his little sedan to add the pizzas to the insulated carrier only to discover them all gone. He searched frantically on the floor for the other drinks. All the sodas were there, but there were no more sports drinks. Where had everything gone?

Up in the fire escape of the nearby apartment building stood the pizza boxes. Red X smiled a wicked grin, happily biting into a slice of Hawaiian pizza and washing it down with F!red UP limeade flavor. "It's true: Palace Pizza makes you eat like royalty. I guess that's why they print it on all their boxes." X relaxed against the brown bricks and sighed quietly. He did not want to stay in one place too long. It would not be long before Raven tracked him down again. But a quick rest could not hurt anyone.

Raven waited just two flights above X on the fire escape. This was exactly what she wanted. _"Relax, now, X_. _When I get my hands on you, you'll be too busy begging for your life to eat any of that pizza_._"_ Looking around the side street, Raven saw it emptying quickly. A couple walked down the sidewalk and disappeared inside a small townhouse. The streetlights flickered. No traffic came down the road. What a perfect setting for revenge.

The sun had only just set, though. It was still too light. Raven resigned herself to waiting quietly for it to grow darker, a time when she was sure she could strike accurately and in secrecy. Until then, Raven would meditate and gather more focus and strength.

Back home, Starfire was laughing at every wrong moment in _Leaping Lizards II: The Iguanas Master Aeronautics_. She still had yet to understand many of earth's jokes. It didn't help that a lot of the puns and gags were sexual in nature… It was hard being the only girl, especially with two guys around as immature as Cyborg and Beast Boy. But she was enjoying the time with her best friends, nonetheless. "Friends, is there more of the pizza of cheese and pineapple?"

"Sure, Star!" Cyborg passed the box to Starfire, chuckling at an iguana teaching a gecko how to fly a biplane. "You know what's sad?" he asked his friends.

"No, what?" Beast Boy asked.

"This movie isn't even that funny… But we're cracking up!"

"Our taste in movies has failed because Raven isn't here," Beast Boy said with longing in his voice. "You guys still haven't told me where she or Robin are…"

Starfire finished the last slice of pizza and looked at Cyborg. "Friend, I think Beast Boy deserves the truth."

Beast Boy looked nervously from Cyborg to Starfire. Something must have been going on.

Cyborg shot Starfire a look of disapproval. Now that she had hinted of something out of the ordinary, Cyborg was forced to tell Beast Boy what was going on. "Look, man. You have to promise to stay calm. No running off to be the hero or doing something stupid, alright?"

The changeling said nothing, only continued to stare at his best friend with accusing eyes. How could Cyborg keep anything a secret from him? They were best friends—or so Beast Boy had thought.

How could Cyborg even begin to explain this situation? Beast Boy was notorious for overreacting, especially when it came to matters of the heart. "After X attacked, Raven," Cyborg started. This was a delicate matter. "Raven went after him. She's tracked him pretty far. Robin is trying to get to Raven before she gets to X."

Beast Boy sat very still for a moment, taking in the information. Red X had nearly killed him. Raven had saved him. Red X was trying to escape. Raven was going after Red X, who was trying to escape. Robin was going after Raven, who was going after Red X, who was trying to escape. All this was happening because Beast Boy had not reacted quickly enough. Calmly, he asked, "Where are they?"

"Last I heard from Robin, somewhere in Bank City."

"THAT'S ALMOST TWO THOUSAND MILES AWAY! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?"

"Beast Boy, please–"

"Why don't you both stop coddling me? This is all my fault anyways!"

"It's not anyone's fault! Calm down!"

"No! I can't believe you guys would keep something like this from me!"

"Where are you going? Please don't leave!"

But his mind was already set. Running out the door, Beast Boy left the tower. He had to find her, he had to stop her. Before he could even stop himself, he was already morphing into that same wolf he had been just two days ago. Nose to the ground, he blindly tried to pick up Raven's scent. There was no other option: Beast Boy had to find Raven.

Starfire felt incredibly guilty as Beast Boy ran out the door. "I am sorry, Cyborg. This is my fault." The alien's eyes were downcast.

"No, Star. He had a right to know. He would have figured it out eventually. At least he knows now." The metal man started for the door. "Let's go get our friends."

Poised and ready to strike, she watched and calculated. The hour was easily ten or half past. Raven looked to the sky for a brief moment; it was a new moon tonight, adding to the darkness of the side street. It was too perfect for words. Soon, he would know. He slept peacefully just two flights below. Pizza boxes waited next to him, some empty and some full. Like a mouse eating cheese off a trap, Red X was in the perfect position to be attacked.

On the ground below, Robin scooted along the wall of the apartment building. Not only had he tracked down Red X, but he had also found Raven. Hopefully neither one saw him, sneaking just a few stories below. There was no way to get up the fire escape quietly, especially with the steel on his boots clattering on the steel alloy of the fire escape above. He was forced to stand and wait for them to make a move.

**XXX**

Hellooooo again. So this is kind of the transition chapter, I apologize. It's not as good as I was hoping.

ANYWHO. You'll find out what city Bank City is soon if you know it IRL. (If you know me at all, it's one of my favorites!) Think this way… Jump City = San Francisco. What's almost two thousand miles away from San Fran?

I promise, I'm already hard at work on the new chapter and will try not to keep you waiting!


	5. Chapter 5

Beast Boy was running in the general direction of east, no particular destination. He just needed to see her, to stop her before she did anything she regretted. Raven claimed she thought all her actions through and never doubted her judgment, but right now Raven was not thinking clearly. His heart raced and his lungs expanded, but Beast Boy just did not feel the same amount of oxygen in his lungs he felt just days ago. He stopped running briefly to catch his breath and morphed back to a human state. Fearfully, he brought his hand to his chest, checking for blood. There was definite pulling of the skin, a strong tug. But Cyborg could really sew anything up. Those stitches were not going anywhere until it was time to come out.

He decided to walk as a human for a while, but he continued towards his target. In the mean time, Beast Boy looked around Jump City. The docks were just ahead. A cold chill came over him. He could almost sense Death hanging in the air, angry that it had not claimed Beast Boy. Closing his eyes and taking a calming breath, Beast Boy clenched his fists and marched forward. That was certainly not his first fight on the docks, and it was doubtful that it would be his last. As long as there were people in Jump City that needed the Titans, they would always be there to help, regardless of what area of the city that may be.

Cyborg and Starfire pulled up in the T-car, expressing concern. "You need a ride, buddy? We're headed to Bank City!"

Stopping, the changeling turned and looked at his friends. Though he was still angry with Cyborg and Starfire, he knew the fastest and safest way to get to Bank City was in the company of the other Titans. Not to mention, he still needed more recovery time. His chest was still tight with every breath and he felt drained––mentally, physically, and emotionally. Swallowing his pride, Beast Boy walked to the car, opened the back door, and climbed in. "Let's go."

Red X awoke at last. He looked up. No moon, as he expected, and limited starlight from city light pollution. A nearby billboard advertised the time and date, something about progress of Bank City. It was helpful, at least, to know that it was about three in the morning. Dead of night. Two and a half days… Surely Raven had given up by now! X surveyed his surroundings and stood quietly. He stretched out his back, tight from sleeping while sitting up, and planned his next move. Bank City could be fun for a while, good for a change. There was a science testing facility within spitting distance from his current location; surely they had Xenothium. Bank City was famous for its swanky uptown and an expansive financial district. A thief's paradise, and a pizza place nearby to boot. "I think I'm gonna like it here," X said, smirking.

"I think a jail cell would suit you a little better!" Robin said, appearing behind X and grabbing his left arm, twisting it out of place.

Groaning loudly, Red X gritted his teeth. "Baby Bird wants to play with the big dogs now, I see. Bring it on, Robin." X tried to flip back and use Robin's weight and hold against him. Robin's grip tightened in the process, successfully dislocating X's left arm. Nearly blind with pain, X struck out wildly and unsure, making contact with Robin's chin.

Robin shook his head and fought back twice as hard. He cried out angrily and delivered blow after blow, knocking the mysterious X off the fire escape. Robin sailed down after him, ready to attack. He landed on his feet, keeping his joints loose so nothing absorbed too much shock and no injuries were obtained. Red X was not stupid, though, and knew how to avoid injuries from falling off a third story platform.

The Titan and the thief stood, shaking off that fall as best as they could. X stared Robin down, fighting back the pain and readying himself to fight as he released his x-shaped blades. Robin cocked an eyebrow as he pulled out his bo-staff. Each had insults boiling at the surface, a thousand words waiting to cut the other deepest. Yet neither one spoke. They simply glared, waiting for the other to make a move.

Finally, Robin could take it no longer. Crying out, he ran forward and rose his staff to strike. Robin was not a revenge seeker per se. But a criminal from his jurisdiction had come this far, and it was up to him to bring him home so justice could be properly served. His anger and concern for his teammates was simply a little fuel on the fire.

X rose his hands not in counter attack, but defense. He was tired, in pain, and possibly suffering internal bleeding. His back ached, his sides ached, his neck was tighter than it had ever been. _"Damn nerves,"_ he thought. _"When was the last time anyone actually had me worried that I might get caught?"_

As their blades met, the two fighters were torn apart by powerful blasts of black magic. Robin flew into a building across the street, bruised and battered but mostly unharmed. Red X, however, was blasted into a dumpster. He left some dents in the metal box, and the clang of the metal rang in his ears. He barely had a moment to lift himself off the pavement before dark energy lifted him into the air.

"Raven!" Robin called. But that was it. He had nothing. Trying to stop Raven was a good way to get hurt. Trying to save X's hide so there was something to put in handcuffs was about ten times more dangerous. He knew Raven was acting out of love. But he couldn't let her destroy X.

From behind, sirens echoed off the buildings. There was no way to explain this to the police… It did not look like super heroes attempting to apprehend a criminal. It looked more like strange gang violence or vigilante justice. This was not going to end well.

Robin ran towards Raven and got as close to the sorceress as he could. "Raven. You need to calm down. Do you hear those sirens? This police force does not know us, nor what you are capable of. If they see you performing magic, they might arrest you––or worse, they might hurt you." He noticed no change. "Raven, I already have one team member that is hospitalized. I don't need you institutionalized. Calm down!"

The allusion to Beast Boy was enough to hit Raven's better judgment. She released Red X and returned to the ground. She exhaled heavily, releasing all her anger and tension. Robin's hand rested on her shoulder. Nothing would comfort her at this moment.

The police cars rolled into the alley, and the Bank City police force jumped out. It was only a few moments before the three fighters were in handcuffs and being forced into a police van. It was sure to be another long night for the three of them.

I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW! I'm evil! To those that have waited around for (gasp) three months for my next update, let me say THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME. To those just joining us (at this late stage) welcome and thanks for reading. I'm incredibly inpunctual. So terrible at updating. I know this isn't the best update after all your patience, but give me a chance. I'mma make somethin' real good for my dedicated readers! Love all my dedicated people.


	6. Chapter 6

Sitting with his head in hands, Robin tried to avoid catching the eyes of any of the common criminals. A jewel thief was sitting next to Robin, staring at his bare feet and loose tights. The Boy Wonder closed his eyes tightly, wishing to everything that he was elsewhere.

"Why you got no shoes?" a man from across the cell asked.

Robin did not respond, wishing fervently that he had his utility belt or his communicator. This was sure to be a long night.

"Hey, kid, don't be rude! Didn't a certain mentor teach you any manners?" Red X asked from the corner, where he was casually leaning and observing.

"_Don't respond,"_ Robin thought. _"You don't have to stoop to his level."_

"Look at his face!" another inmate laughed. "He's so frustrated!"

"Five bucks says that Tights over here beats up Ninja," the jewel thief next to Robin said to the second criminal.

"I take that bet!" he responded.

Red X shook his head and strolled to the front of the cell. "Told you that you shouldn't of left the playground, kid."

"In case you did not notice, you're in here too!" Robin snapped.

"I'm in here by choice. I could have disappeared in half a second if I wanted to."

"Why would anyone choose to be here? This is jail. This is where criminals go to serve out debts to society! They come here to be corrected. Besides, it's not exactly a desirable crowd…"

"If jail is so good for society, how come the criminals you put away always get back out?"

"Well ––"

"And I guarantee you that I will be out by the end of the night. Heck, I will take my brothers with me!"

The other men in the cell cheered.

"Now, hang on. Let's not get riled up."

"In fact! I feel like busting out right now!"

Robin had to do something to quell this rebellion. Out of options, he kicked out and knocked X's feet out from under him.

X was about to strike back when the guards walked back to the stall. "Green boy, you want your phone call?"

"Yes. Thank you." Robin walked quickly out of the cell, following the officers to the pay phone. Sighing heavily, he dialed the familiar phone number that he hoped he would never have to dial again.

In the T-car, Cyborg looked at his friends, sound asleep. They had been driving for several hours now, but Bank City was still several more hours away. Starfire slept uncomfortably in the front seat, as she could not put her head down and her feet up. Beast Boy was stretched across the back seat. Cyborg wanted to sleep, but he was not about to ask Beast Boy to drive.

Cyborg's communicator rang. He did not want to wake his friends, so he spoke quietly and turned the volume down. The tin man hardly had a moment to respond before he was caught up to speed on the situation. "We will be there as soon as possible." Cyborg hung up.

Bleary eyed, Beast Boy leaned up in the back seat. Yawning mightily, he asked, "Who was that? Why are they calling so late? Early? What time is it?"

"It's four AM, so I guess that qualifies it as early. Robin and Raven are in jail."

"WHAT!"

"Shut up, man! We don't need to wake Star!"

"How is that even possible? Don't we have immunity as long as we're pursuing justice or something?" Easily the biggest sentence Beast Boy had ever used, successfully to boot!

"In Jump City, we do. But Bank City has never seen anything quite like us, so the police force was not sure how to handle them. On the plus side, X is in jail for now."

"What do you mean for now?"

"Gang violence. Only hold for 24 hours, tops. We have to get him back to Jump City to keep him in prison."

Beast Boy shook his head. So many problems with the system. "Are we close?"

"Yeah. You should start to see the city in three…two…one."

The highway curved and then there were skyscrapers against the remaining stars with the sun barely visible on the horizon. It was pretty, but it wasn't a Jump City. Beast Boy set his lips in a line, hoping to see Raven soon. "We should have taken the T-ship."

"Everybody's a pilot…" Cyborg muttered, shaking his head.

They drove in silence before finally arriving at the county jail, just outside of the city.

Cyborg looked at Beast Boy. "Stay here."

"But I wanna––"

"Stay. Here."

"Cyborg!"

"I mean it!" With that, he locked the car and walked into the building, hopefully retrieving his friends and an unfortunate package.

Beast Boy crossed his arms, relaxing into the seat. Typical Cyborg, treating him like a child. Pouting, Beast Boy looked out the window, studying Bank City. It was pretty, but not picturesque. As he tried to read the name on one side of the building, he heard a loud clatter and suddenly, Robin and Red X were running. Both were barefoot, light of weapon, and looking quite confused.

"What…"

Before his eyes, Raven appeared in X's path to block him.

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy opened the door, setting off the child alarm in the process. He ran to the scene, but everyone was running once more. Raven had not heard him, nor Robin. Beast Boy struggled to breathe once more. He felt an overwhelming, panicky anxiety take over what sense he had left at this point. Not knowing what to do, he stood frozen in the middle of the road.

Police cruisers zipped out of the parking lot behind him, sirens wailing. Other people in jail attempted to escape, but all were quickly apprehended. The scene unfolded in slow motion. Beast Boy's mind could not keep up right now. He felt so confused.

Cyborg rested a metal hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Come on, man! We gotta go get them."

Turning to follow his friend, Beast Boy marched once more to the T-car and hoped that he could see her once more.

**XXX**

Okay, seriously, y'all have every right to hate me. I'm sorry! I've been job hunting and finally found a part time job WHOOO! So now I can relax and not worry about money and write happily.

Now this particular chapter was always intended to be a bit of a transition piece. But I promise y'all, we're nearing the end. Maybe one or two more chapters. And the next one is well worth the wait! In fact, I am already a full, whopping 100 words in. Teehee.

XOXOX


	7. Chapter 7

Between the sirens and early rising business men and heavy humidity in the air, X was really feeling a panic. His bare feet were slowing him down from his usual pace. He did not know the area. All he knew was to keep running, or Raven was sure to kill him. And she could pop up at any second.

Robin was in hot pursuit, also barefoot. His mountain climb several years back had toughened up his feet, so he hardly noticed the pain as he ran. However, a grapple hook or bo-staff might help him apprehend X. He did his best to dodge people, who probably thought that he and X were two drunken fools running through the city. How far the Boy Wonder had fallen…

Cyborg was looking for a way to block X and protect as many civilians as possible. It was around five now, so people were at least stirring, with a decent amount commuting to work. Beast Boy and Starfire kept watch out the windows, looking for the runners and hoping to tell Cyborg where to turn. Of course, Beast Boy knew as soon as he saw Red X, he was jumping out of the car and taking action. No more sitting idly.

Raven seemed to have disappeared completely. No one knew where she was or what she intended on doing. She was tracking Red X as well…just waiting for the opportune moment. The sorceress had only one goal right now: avenge Beast Boy.

Turning a sharp corner into a park, X planned on hiding anywhere he could find. He was far enough ahead of the Titans that he could find somewhere to make a plan. Yes, it was hiding, but X was not about to admit that to anyone, even himself. It was degrading and embarrassing. A small restroom facility caught his eye. X darted in and locked the door behind him, leaning against the wall and catching his breath. What next?

Robin had seen where the criminal had gone. Surely he must be tired––Robin was exhausted, to stay the least. He wanted nothing more than to return home and take a hot shower and a long nap. But first things came first. When Robin arrived at the bathroom door, he attempted to kick it open. The deadbolt and hinges were stronger than he expected. Of course, Robin was weak and had not eaten in several days… That was enough to weaken anyone.

"Yo, want some help?" Cyborg called, brakes squealing as he stopped on the road through the park. Starfire was scrambling out, ready to help at any second as well. Her eyes lit up as she formed starbolts.

"Thought you were at home, awaiting orders," Robin said flatly, giving the door another kick.

"I got a call that you were in jail. Besides, Grass Stain came after you! I couldn't just let him go!"

Out of nowhere, a green rhinoceros battered down the door and barged into the restroom.

"Found him," Cyborg said, marching into the restroom after Beast Boy.

Inside, Red X cowered in a corner as he once again faced down the wolf that he had nearly killed just days before. He was tired, he was hungry, his whole body ached, he was pretty sure he had broken some ribs at best… Surrendering looked a lot better than being dead, even if it was not his style.

"You won't win this one… You may try to take down the Titans, but we will always come back and stronger." Robin readied himself to fight. Cyborg and Star flanked him on either side, ready to battle.

"You know, kids, I may be up for one more round of catch," Red X taunted. He ran forward and flipped through the air, sailing over the Titans. Beast Boy had lunged at him, managing to tear a hole through his leggings and puncture a good bite mark into his leg, but nothing more.

The four friends sprinted after the criminal only to find him trapped behind the building by none other than Raven. She levitated X, trapping him against the building with four dark energy cuffs. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you in half right now," Raven said.

X had no reason for her. No witty pick up lines, no comebacks or teases, nothing. A few days without food or decent sleep had leveled him to a cowering, blistered, broken bandit.

"Raven, no!" Robin cried He ran forward, only to be grabbed by Cyborg.

Beast Boy walked behind Raven with trepidation and hope. "Raven, don't do this. You're better than him. I know you are."

Raven never broke her concentration in a spell––ever. But hearing Beast Boy's words, sensing him so close to her, she broke focus and dropped her hold on X. "Beast Boy?" She turned slowly, and upon seeing him standing there threw her arms around him. He was alive and okay. Her sunshine was still there.

X tried to run, but Robin was ready this time. He tackled X to the ground and wrenched his arms behind his back. "Not this time. Game over."

**XXX**

So hey again! Yeah, it's been too long. Bad habit. I admit it. Hate me, not these perfect little babies! Reviews are always appreciated. Last chapter should be up soon!


	8. Chapter 8

Back home in Jump City, safe and sound, Raven meditated on the rooftop. It had been an eventful two days. She had nearly lost Beast Boy, nearly lost her mind, and nearly lost a criminal. But all were recovered. Raven was as focused as she could be. She deserved discipline or worse for losing control and risking so much in order to apprehend a criminal. Just because he thought he was above the law, that did not mean Raven got to ignore it for the sake of justice. She was no vigilante.

But Robin had just smiled, told her she had done well, and delivered X to Jump City police. JCPD had taken care of the jail break nonsense in Bank City. Raven seemed to be free and clear in everyone else's eyes. Yet she still held herself accountable for all the wrong.

"Raven?"

Clearly, her focus was off today. She turned and saw Beast Boy standing by the door.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay." The changeling walked to Raven's side, overlooking the water around their island.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I should not have lost control so completely. I went crazy and lost sight of how things should have been done."

"Raven, you shouldn't be apologizing to me… I came out here to thank you!"

"Thank me?"

"Not only did you save me, but you saved all of us a lot of trouble by nabbing X."

"Well, he couldn't just get away with nearly killing you."

"What?"

"I didn't do it for the team. I did it for you."

Beast Boy had never been so stunned into silence. He wanted to do a million things right now, like laugh, dance, jump up, cry, hug her, scream… "Thank you. I really don't know what else to say."

Raven smiled. An overwhelming courage took over her better judgment. She floated closer to the green boy and planted a single kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for staying alive."

Despite his green skin, Beast Boy blushed. He rubbed his hand on the back of his head, not quite sure how to approach this next… If he tried to kiss her back, there was a chance she would send him into another dimension (only briefly, of course). "Want to go get some food? My favorite diner is open late… Unlimited waffles!" He nearly sang the last bit.

Raven chuckled quietly. "Whatever you say, Beast Boy. You're buying." She carried them both into the city, where they feasted on waffles until dawn.

**XXX**

Sorry for the brevity of this last chapter. But I feel like it really summed itself up nicely. BBxRae forever! But seriously, thanks for sticking around for so long. I'm sorry it took me forever to get this finished. If you know how flighty my muse is, you understand! It's been exactly one year and one month. Please feel free to hate me! Reviews are always appreciated. I'll try to post another Teen Titans fic soon, and maybe look for some Young Justice! Peace out. Love you, readers!

Special thanks to those that have encouraged me to keep going the whole time:

Wolvmbm

Amenson

Densharr

Annesilverfire

EbonyVergil

And of course, my love Destiny919!


End file.
